Independent travelers are often prone to melancholy when they find themselves alone for the holidays. Here are a few suggestions to help you cope with missing your friends and family back home.

1. Video Chat. Sometimes just seeing a loved ones face and having a few minutes to wish them well can go a long way to chasing away the blues. It's fun to set up that you will call during a specific time like when everyone is opening presents and they can just set the phone or computer up so that you feel like you are right there in the living room! Virtual Reality.

2. Help Others. Volunteering at a soup kitchen or some other local holiday event can fill your soul up with smiles and hugs when you are alone for the holidays. It's also a great way to meet locals and make new friends.

3.Get Outside. Whether you are in a warm climate or cold, a day wandering the streets in a city or hiking through the woods will amp up those endorphins and brighten your mood.

4.Treat Yourself. Before your outdoor adventure, make plans to pamper yourself on your return. Have hot chocolate or frosty margaritas waiting – or stop by a locals hangout for the same. Splurge on a dinner and if you know someone else alone for the holidays, invite them to join you. All of a sudden, it's a party!

5.Reach Out. You are not the only person alone during the holiday. Ask ahead of time or at the last minute if you hear of someone to share your day.

6.Snuggle Up. If you are the introverted anti-social type, (I know I'm talking about myself), being alone during the holidays can just be a great excuse to get a few movies, order food in, and snuggle in your jammies all day.

Whatever your plans, make sure you take care of yourself, acknowledge that you are feeling a little lonely, and know that tomorrow it will pass. Being alone during the holidays can release you from the burden of expectations. Yours and others. Be creative and you could make it the most wonderful time of the year.